Tidy Tidbits with Tyler Moore | Tidy Up Your Life with Home Organization & Daily Routines

What does tidying up your life have to do with becoming a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Apparently, more than you might think.
Tyler Moore (Tidy Dad) shares how a childhood tradition of watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Kentucky eventually led to attending the parade with his own kids in New York City, becoming a Ronald McDonald balloon handler, touring Macy’s Studio, and now applying to become a clown in the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And The New York Times broke the news before he did.
Tyler takes you behind the scenes of his experience as a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon handler, including a 3:30 a.m. call time, wrangling Ronald McDonald through Manhattan, crouching underneath the Bluey balloon, and learning how the floats, balloons, costumes, and props are handmade at Macy’s Studio.
Tidying up your life isn’t only about decluttering your home, creating better routines, or getting everyone out the door on time. Sometimes it’s about making space for something that serves absolutely no practical purpose, except that it brings you joy.
The question is, “Are we leaving enough room in our ordinary lives for the extraordinary?” Maybe even becoming a clown.
Read Tyler’s SIX features in The New York Times (in the episode I mentioned four articles, but while I was grabbing the links, I realized there were a couple more!)
* 2017: In Queens, a Rent-Stabilized Family Compound
* 2024: Crowds Turn Out for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Despite Rain
* 2025: The Easiest Way to Feel More Organized
* 2025: 5 Organizing Books to Bring Order to Chaos
* 2026: In This Housing Market, the Second Home Comes First
* 2026: The Influencers’ Thanksgiving
More from Tidy Dad:
📚 Order Tidy Up Your Life (available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook)
🗞️ Subscribe to The Tidy Times on Substack
📸 Follow along on IG: Tidy Dad


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tidydad.substack.com/subscribe

Building on Episode #70, “Back-to-School Isn’t a Day, It’s a Season,” this episode is focused on the routine I’d address first. It’s small but surprisingly complicated: getting out the door and then getting everything put away when you come home.
Using strategies from my experience as a teacher, school administrator, and dad of three, I’m sharing my simple routine framework that actually works.
The goal isn’t a picture-perfect entryway or a flawless morning routine. It’s to design a routine that makes an ordinary part of your day a little smoother. Notice the moments when your family gets stuck and ask: What is making this more difficult than it needs to be? Sometimes the solution is as simple as moving the socks.
Mentioned in this episode:
* Episode #60: What to Do With All the School Papers
* Episode #70: Back-to-School Isn’t a Day, It’s a Season
* Large backpack hooks with adhesive strips
* 5-tier file organizer for incoming school papers
More from Tidy Dad:
📚 Order Tidy Up Your Life (available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook)
🗞️ Subscribe to The Tidy Times on Substack
📸 Follow along on IG: Tidy Dad



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tidydad.substack.com/subscribe

In episode #55 of Tidy Tidbits, I asked, “When was the last time you actually used a cookbook? Not your phone. Not a blog post. A real, physical cookbook with a spine, pages, and a table of contents.”
Ever since then, my family has been cooking from Caro Chambers’ cookbook, What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking, almost every day. Her brand new cookbook, Make It Fast, is filled with simple 15-minute, 30-minute or “walk away” recipes that make getting dinner on the table feel a whole lot more manageable. We’ve been trying out an early copy, and this is the cookbook you need for back-to-school season!!
In this special episode, my middle daughter, Matilda (age 9), joins me as my podcast co-host for a conversation with Caro about favorite recipes from her cookbook, strategies for the pickiest of eaters, and creating simple routines that help take the stress out of dinnertime.
Sometimes tidying up your life starts with making mealtimes just a little bit simpler.
More from Caro Chambers:
📚 Order What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking and Make It Fast
🗞️ Subscribe to Caro on Substack
📸 Follow along on IG: Caro Chambers
More from Tidy Dad:
📚 Order Tidy Up Your Life (available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook)
🗞️ Subscribe to The Tidy Times on Substack
📸 Follow along on IG: Tidy Dad


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tidydad.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Tidy Tidbits, Tidy Dad (Tyler Moore) shares a simple mindset shift that’s helped him navigate nearly two decades in education, as both a teacher, an administrator and a parent. Whether you have school-age children or you simply feel the shift that comes with a new season, this episode offers a calmer approach to one of the busiest times of the year.
Instead of adding more back-to-school hacks to your to-do list, focus on a simple reminder: back-to-school isn’t a day, it’s a season, and a practical exercise that helps families prepare for change without feeling overwhelmed.
Whether you’re packing lunches, shopping for school supplies, adjusting to new schedules and routines, or simply preparing for the transition from summer to fall, this episode will give yourself and your family permission to ease into it.
Tidy Takeaway: Back-to-school isn’t a day, it’s a season.
More from Tidy Dad:
📚 Order Tidy Up Your Life (available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook)
🗞️ Subscribe to The Tidy Times on Substack
📸 Follow along on IG: Tidy Dad
This episode is sponsored by TOBIQ. Our family has used their duffel bag backpacks for years, and now we’re adding their everyday backpacks to our collection. With thoughtful compartments, durable materials, and comfortable straps, TOBIQ bags are built for school, everyday life, travel, and weekend adventures. If you’re looking for quality bags that will last, check out Tobiq. Use the code TIDYDAD for 15% off.


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tidydad.substack.com/subscribe

Six months ago, I started a simple 30-day experiment: no checking social media or news between 5:00 and 7:00 a.m. That one change created more time, more mental space, and eventually led to another experiment: moving my workouts to the early morning. But jumping straight from sleep into an intense workout wasn’t easy, so I added one more habit: a short morning yoga practice while my coffee brews.
What began as an experiment has become a daily routine that helps me feel calmer, stronger, and more intentional before the day even begins.
In this episode, I’m joined by Dean Pohlman, founder of Man Flow Yoga, to talk about the benefits of morning yoga, improving mobility, building strength, and creating a sustainable fitness routine. We also discuss why yoga isn’t just for flexible people, how men can benefit from yoga, and simple ways to build a practice you’ll actually stick with.
If you’ve been looking for an easy morning routine, beginner yoga tips, or practical ways to improve your mobility and flexibility, this conversation is a great place to start.
Connect with Dean from Man Flow Yoga
- Instagram: @manflowyoga
- Podcast: The Better Man
- Website: manflowyoga.com
- Membership: Man Flow Yoga Membership - Tidy Tidbits listeners get $20 off an annual plan (the equivalent of getting 50% off our monthly plan over the course of a year) and a free 7-day trial to test the Members' Area & App before committing to a year.
- My morning workout video on YouTube
More from Tidy Dad:
📚 Tidy Up Your Life - If you preorder the paperback edition of Tidy Up Your Life, you can also receive one FREE year of paid access to The Tidy Times Substack, including every resource, essay, and “Behind the Stories” post. Register your order here!
📸 Follow along on IG: Tidy Dad


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tidydad.substack.com/subscribe